


Balance

by amairel



Series: Beastmaster Virtual Season [1]
Category: Beastmaster
Genre: Beastmaster Virtual Season 4, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Series Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-01
Updated: 2002-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-25 07:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/950122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amairel/pseuds/amairel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Episode 4005 of the Beastmaster Virtual Season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> Cast: Daniel Goddard as Dar, Jackson Raine as Tao
> 
> Recurring Guests: Marjean Holden as Arina, David Paterson as Voden and Hudson Leick as Keenaht.
> 
> Guest Stars: George Takei as Gui (Gooe) Shan, Dustin Nguyen as Chao (Shao), Daniel Dae Kim as Yong, Rick Yune as Zhen (Zen), Michael Wong as Xing (Ching), Natalie Mendoza as Nuo, Kelly Hu as Jia (Gia) and Grahame Bond as Heng.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Tribune and Atlantis Alliance and do not belong to me; only the words and ideas in this story are mine.

As the sun rose from over the hidden mountains, the surrounding world was bathed in an iridescent glow of beauty. Birds in their trees chirped a grateful greeting to the new day while predators of the night headed back to their lairs and animals that lived in the daylight began to move about. Shading his eyes from the brilliant warmth of the morning sun, a dark haired man smiled in unconscious pleasure at the peaceful morning while another, lighter haired man mock-wrestled with his companion, a large, golden tiger. 

Turning to watch the wrestling match, Tao smiled as the tiger was forced to give up his position on top of the wriggling man. Glancing at the losing tiger, Tao had a thought and, winking at Ruh, he asked. "Dar, how soon are you two going to be done? I am rather hungry." The light, teasing voice broke through the man’s concentration and allowed the tiger to roll him under. 

Gasping, Dar gently pushed the arrogantly purring tiger away from him and turned to his friend. "Tao, how could you? You deliberately helped Ruh and now he’s going to be insufferable." Shaking his head in mock annoyance, Dar smirked at the laughing Eiron. "You had better move fast, Tao." With no other warning, the Beastmaster rushed his friend and soon the tranquility of the early morning was shattered as two voices were raised in laughter, something the forest had not heard for many moons. 

******************************

The day had settled into its prime and the sun’s glow was not so overpowering by the time the two men were satisfied in both spirit and flesh. The Eiron was putting the finishing touches to the dismantling of their overnight camp while his companion was conversing with Ruh as the ferrets looked on, chattering to each other.

"You know that wasn’t a fair fight. You wouldn’t have won if Tao hadn’t helped you." Exasperated, the Beastmaster tried to convince the tiger to a rematch, but Ruh just smirked at him, showing him his big mouth with nice, gleaming white teeth.

A soft laugh from behind him made Dar glare over his shoulder at a smiling Tao.

"Sorry, sorry." Holding up his hands in surrender, Tao couldn’t keep from laughing at the scene before him. "You really should know better than to argue with Ruh, Dar. He’s not going to let you win, at least not today."

Shaking his head, the blonde man stood up and walked to where his pouch was lying. 

"I know, but did you really have to help him? The least you could have done was let me win." The fake whine in Dar’s voice almost caused Tao to laugh again. 

"I’m sorry, Dar, if I had known that it took so little to make you lose I would not have said anything." The teasing in his voice was the only thing that kept Dar from pouncing on him again, but it didn’t stop him from reaching over and lightly mussing his hair.

"Hey, stop that." Tao grumbled good-naturedly at his friend while combing his hair back into position with his fingers.

Dar just smiled as he reached down to pick Kodo and Podo up from the ground and deposited them in their pouch.

"Come on, we need to set out or we’ll end up staying here again tonight."

Taking a last look around, Tao joined the Beastmaster as he began to walk away from the small clearing that had been their camp. "Would that be such a bad idea? It’s not like we’re in a hurry, are we?"

Tao’s worried voice stopped Dar in his tracks and he turned quickly to reassure his friend.

"No, no. We’re not in any hurry. I would just feel better if we were able to keep moving and find Arina. She doesn’t know about what’s happened and I don’t want her walking into Xinca without knowing the whole story."

Sighing, Tao agreed. "Remember, it’s not your fault, none of it was. You were used by someone you should have been able to trust."

"I know, but I was still blind. If I had let myself think, I would have been able to see that something wasn’t right…" the familiar feeling of loss and guilt washed over the Beastmaster, the only thing that stopped him from truly giving in to the feelings was the voice of his beloved friend.

"Dar, you are not all-knowing and all-seeing. I know that sometimes it seems as if you are, but you’re only human. You could no more have foreseen the betrayal of Dartanus and Sendar than I could…could communicate with the ferrets. You can’t blame yourself for their choices, all you can do is what you’ve always done; live your life by the code that you have set for yourself and never regret anything, even the bad." Tao smiled a little sadly as he looked into the pained eyes of his best friend, his brother. "They say that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, Dar. I know that you will grow and become a stronger person for this experience and one day, you will be the king your father envisioned." 

Dar felt his gloom lift away and scatter in the face of the Eiron’s conviction and smiled at Tao. "Thank you, my friend. Now, let’s go find Arina."

**************

The bright sun blazed down on the pool of clear water into which a gentle waterfall fell. Near the pool, several teepees were pitched in a half-circle facing the water, with an assorted group of people and animals moved in and around the area. Out of the teepee set in the middle of the half-circle, and coincidentally the largest one, emerged a distinguished figure dressed in skins. His long silver hair was confined in braids that framed his face and fell below his shoulders. Beads and feathers from many different birds adorned his hair while from his waist hung a pouch filled with herbs and other necessities. The man’s eyes were deep pools of wisdom and the very air around him seemed to ripple with his power. Taking a deep breath, Heng moved away from his teepee and headed towards the chieftain’s teepee. He had unsettling news for him and didn’t have a moment to spare in the telling.

From out of the shadows of another, smaller teepee stepped a beautiful woman who shaded her eyes as she looked after the receding figure of the tribal medicine man. Her brown eyes narrowed in anger, she hissed at the man standing beside her, "His position should be mine! I have more knowledge of healing and herbs than he will ever have and yet he denies me my birthright! Tell me that you will deal with him."

The man smiled slightly at the vision she made in her anger as he answered her. "My dear Jia, everything will work out, I promise you. Now, come back inside and devote your attention to my needs."

With gentle words and a persuasive touch, Jia was soon convinced to rejoin her companion in the cool interior of the teepee.


	2. Act One

A distance away from the camp, three men, each of them accompanied by an animal, were hunting in the forest. The two men in back had foxes at their sides while the man in the foreground followed a cougar. The forest was silent save for the sound of the men chasing after the cougar. As they reached a clearing through which the river flowed fast and furious, the two men in the background set arrows into their bows. At the sound of the string, the lone man turned to them in confusion.

"What are you doing, Yong, Zhen? We have no prey to hunt. Put down your bows and continue to follow me."

Yong, the man to his left, grimaced at his words but Zhen, who was to his right, just laughed. "I’m afraid you have been rather deceived if you thought we were really hunting, Chao. We have orders to make sure that you don’t return and we fully intend to fulfill our orders. Farewell, Gui Chong (Honored Second Brother)."

Eyes wide in fright, Chao attempted to understand what was happening to him while his mind raced to find a way out. Looking at the men who were threatening him, he was suddenly struck with the truth. "My brother…" he breathed out in disbelief. "My brother ordered you to kill me." 

The two men ignored his words and let the arrows loose. One arrow struck him high in the chest and the other in his arm. Stumbling backwards, Chao lost his balance and tumbled into the river. The last sounds he heard was the outraged scream of the cougar and the shriek of an eagle.

*******************

The powerful scream of a cougar broke the peaceful air followed closely by a shriek from Sharak. Dar looked up into the sky toward him. A jumbled picture flew into his head showing a cougar attacking two men and being hampered by the foxes while another man tumbled down the fast flowing river. 

Shaking his head to clear it, Dar turned to look at the expectant Tao. "Go down towards the river and find the man in it. Ruh will help you. Quickly, I don’t know how long he’ll manage."

Without waiting for a reply, the Beastmaster turned and followed the directions coming from Sharak towards the cougar, foxes and men while the Eiron, after a stunned moment followed Ruh.

"The day had been so peaceful," grumbled Tao as he struggled to keep up with the fast moving tiger, "so of course everything had to change." 

The Eiron was out of breath by the time he reached the river. Ruh had already waded in to catch the man floating face down and drag him back to dry land. Realizing that they would need a fire, Tao looked around and found a circle of dry logs and twigs. He had the fire built and crackling by the time Ruh dragged the man to dry land. Tao helped the tiger drag him to the fireside. Taking a look at him, Tao was shocked to see that the young man, while injured, had an even more serious problem; he wasn’t breathing. 

Turning the man onto his side, Tao began to push at his ribcage hoping to expel the water he had swallowed. Pushing became punching and just when he was ready to give up, a large gush of water poured out of the young man’s mouth and his heart began beating again. Sighing with relief, Tao turned him over to inspect his other injuries. 

The two arrows had, apparently because of his rough journey downstream, broken off leaving only the head and a little of the arrow behind. Wincing in sympathy, Tao reached for his pouch and his herbs while warming his bone knife in the fire. Getting out his pot, he emptied his water into it and added several of the herbs he kept on hand to the mix. While he waited for the knife to warm, Tao carefully removed the shirt from the still unconscious form. The mix began to boil almost immediately and, removing it from the fire, Tao placed it to the side so that it could cool down. Once the knife was hot enough, Tao grabbed it, and with Ruh looking on curiously, began the delicate process of removing the embedded heads from the young man’s body. 

Finally, both arrowheads were removed and Tao sighed in exhaustion. "Well, only time will tell how much damage the arrows have given you, but you should at least live." Addressing his unconscious patient Tao reached for the pot and, using a wooden spoon, gathered the thickened paste and smoothed it onto the injuries. Careful to cover the marks made by arrow and knife, Tao finally spared a moment to wonder how Dar was doing.

************************** 

By the time Dar reached the area where the cougar, foxes and men had been fighting, all that was left were signs of the fight. Blood splattered the area and he could see tracks that showed the two men and foxes leaving the area in the same direction, while the cougar had headed downstream, limping. Standing in the small clearing, Dar communicated with Sharak to see where the men and foxes had gone and was surprised to see that they were still together. Puzzled, Dar scanned the area carefully to determine why the foxes had remained at the side of men. The tale that the tracks told only confused the Beastmaster more, and leaning back on his heels, he voiced them. "Why would two full-grown foxes choose to stay with men?" 

Shaking his head, he stood up just as Sharak shrieked once again. Sighing, Dar looked into the sky and through Sharak’s eye once again. His own eyes widened when he realized that the cougar he had ignored was heading straight for the river bank where the injured human was with Tao and Ruh. Hoping that he would reach Tao before the cougar could attack, the Beastmaster took off running.

**************

Looking over at his quietly resting patient, Tao poked the fire a little and then groaned softly as abused muscles made their displeasure known. Muttering idle threats at the lounging tiger, Tao stood up and stretched out his cramped muscles. "I’m going down to the river to get some water. Keep an eye on the man, Ruh."

A huff greeted his words and, taking them for assent, Tao moved slowly down to the riverside. Shaking his head at the pain he was in, Tao was forced to admit that he had not been consistent in his exercises. "Just great, Dar will travel faster without me at this rate. I really need to get back into shape." 

As he took a deep, quenching drink of the clear water, a shriek sent his eyes to the sky where, shading his eyes, Tao struggled to see Sharak. The sound of twigs breaking caused Tao to turn away from the sky and stare with undisguised horror at the sight that met his eyes; a blood covered cougar stared back at him from across the river. 

Pain maddened eyes glared at the frozen human and then, as the wind shifted, the cougar’s nose twitched in recognition. Ignoring the water before it, the cougar crossed the river intent on reaching the familiar smell. Tao felt frozen for the split second it took for the cougar to reach the middle of the river and then he turned and ran as fast as his tired muscles would allow. Another shriek from the low flying eagle reassured Tao that Dar was on his way but, in a small corner of his mind, he wondered if Dar would get there in time. 

****************

Dar ran faster as the image of Tao running away from an injured cougar slammed into his vision. Hoping against hope that he would arrive in time, Dar mentally reached for Ruh and warned him of the oncoming danger. 

‘Protect him, please, I can’t lose him, too.’ He couldn’t help but feel pain at the thought of Tao dying because of him, so reminiscent of another death. ‘If everyone I get close to dies, I might as well hide away in the forest and never look at another human again.’

Another shriek from Sharak tore his mind away from his painful thoughts, and Dar focused instead on reaching the campsite and Tao as quickly as he could. 

Clearing the forest in a powerful jump, Dar set his sights on the camp and began crossing the river quickly but carefully. ‘The last thing I need is to be caught in its current.’ 

Dar’s powerful legs helped him across the river and, just as he landed on the other side, he heard the sounds that he had been afraid of: a cougar’s scream, a human’s cry followed closely by the roar of a tiger.

"Tao!"

**************

Creeping forward, Arina held her breath as a twig snapped under her boot. She watched carefully as the sentry paused in his forward movement to glance towards her hiding place but was reassured when he moved on. Staring at the tall walls encircling the palace she couldn’t help but wonder if her information was truly accurate. It had taken her so long to find the information that had finally led her to Voden’s stronghold. 

‘If Voden has truly become king in the Downs, then I need to know everything I can about how that happened.’ Closing her eyes wearily, Arina thought back to the moment when she had first heard rumors of the ‘white king’ in the Downs. Sparing a moment to think of how the news would affect Tao, Arina couldn’t help wishing that the Beastmaster and the Eiron were with her. ‘I never thought I’d admit it but traveling with those two did seem to solve so many problems. I wonder what Dar is doing right now?’ 

Deciding to stay hidden until it became dark enough to move without being seen, Arina reached into her pack and grabbed some fruits and nuts and began to eat while keeping an eye on the stronghold and its sentries.


	3. Act Two

Watching the scene before him with bemusement, Tao rested against a conveniently located log. His abused muscles continued their complaint’s loudly but the dull ache in his arm had his full attention and, hesitantly, he looked over at the cougar that had threatened his life not so long ago. Said cougar was curled up around the body of his still unconscious patient while Ruh and Dar were involved in what appeared to be a serious conversation.

‘Traveling with Dar is never dull--dangerous yes, but never dull. I wonder what the story is behind the cougar and the man?’ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Tao looked over at the Beastmaster only to find Dar staring at him. "What? Do I have something on me," curiosity forced him to ask; forgoing his other question in the face of Dar’s unusual scrutiny. 

"No." The quiet tone warned him that Dar was blaming himself for the situation again and Tao sighed. "Dar, it wasn’t your fault. You got here as fast as you could. Besides, Ruh made sure that the cougar didn’t hurt me…." Tao’s explanation faded as Dar walked around the fire and reached for his arm.

"A lot. You meant a lot. Neither Ruh nor I were able to save you from injury." Gentle fingers caressed the cloth wrapped around Tao’s right arm. "We weren’t fast enough to keep you from getting hurt. I’m sorry, Tao."

The despondency in Dar’s voice propelled Tao to action and he grabbed Dar’s hand with his uninjured hand. "You didn’t cause the injury, Dar. You have nothing to apologize for. The cougar was protecting his friend and thought that I was an enemy." Voice shaking with suppressed emotion; Tao looked into clouded brown eyes as he tried to reason with a guilt-ridden Beastmaster. "If you blame yourself, then you blame the cougar, and you already told him that it wasn’t his fault. Are you going to take that back?" 

Dar shook his head still not looking at Tao but focused his attention instead on the wrapped arm. 

"Don’t do this to yourself Dar. If you feel guilty every time I get injured, I won’t be helping you and I would rather be in Xinca and be a slave to Zad than do that to you." Tao felt close to tears as he attempted to snap Dar out of his guilt. "Please, it wasn’t your fault."

***************

As darkness fell, Arina focused all her attention on the sentries, waiting for the moment when she could get past them. Suddenly, the two sentries reached for their weapons. Wondering if she had let her presence be known she looked around to gauge the readiness of the other guards but paused when she noticed the small caravan approaching the front gates. 

With the sentries’ attention fixed on the advancing caravan, she decided to take a chance. Moving forward with the skill that had caused her to become Voden’s prize tracker, Arina left her hiding place and crept to the small side door that would allow her to enter the stronghold. 

Reaching the door, Arina glanced around once more, before carefully opening the door and disappearing within its darkness. Inside, she found herself in a dimly lit hallway that seemed to follow the wall in a circular shape. After a moment, Arina realized that the hallway was within the stronghold walls. ‘Great. Now how am I going to get out of the wall and into the fortress? Hmmm, should I go right or left?’ Shaking her head at her situation, Arina took a careful look down both sides before deciding to go down the left passage. ‘I hope I made the right choice.’ 

Arina hugged the wall carefully as she turned into an area with more light than the hallway had had so far. Glancing around the corner, she saw no sentries but spied another doorway that led away from the wall. Taking another look around, Arina stepped out into the light with her metal knife held in her hand. When no one attacked her, Arina relaxed her guard slightly and headed for the door. Touching the knob she turned it gently and relaxed when it turned and the door opened right away. A moment later the hallway was as empty and as silent as it had been before Arina had entered it. 

*****************

Dar quickly gazed up at Tao as his impassioned plea finally reached him. The tears in his friend’s hazel eyes twisted his heart and, without thought, he reached out and cupped Tao’s cheek. "Oh, Tao, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty." A wry smile crossed his face even as his hand dropped back to the wrapped arm and caressed it again. "I just don’t like it when my actions result in you being injured."

A light hand settled over his restlessly moving hand and grasped it warmly. "It wasn’t your fault. I chose to help the man and it was my actions that resulted in the cougar smelling his friend on me." A chuckle escaped the Eiron and he shook his head in exasperation. "You’re determined to make everything your fault, aren’t you? I do have the capacity to make my own decisions; you should know that by now, Dar. When have you ever been able to dictate my actions?"

Dar nodded in agreement. "I’ve never been able to make you do anything. But I want to keep you safe and traveling with me isn’t exactly the best way to do that." Smiling he raised a hand to forestall the comment he knew Tao was going to say. "I know that you don’t want to be safe, I know that you came with me of your own free will. But, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re very important to me and I don’t want you injured because of my actions or inaction."

An irritated Tao interrupted anything else he was planning to say. "Dar, I will never be the fighter that you are but I have learned how to defend myself and I promise that I will be careful. Now, can we please go to sleep and worry about the new situation we’ve found ourselves in tomorrow? I am rather tired. My muscles aren’t what they used to be." Pointedly, Tao didn’t mention the ache in his arm. 

Before Dar could move away, however, Tao reached out and drew Dar’s head toward his own. "No matter what happens, Dar, I choose to travel with you and I will never regret any part of it. I’m thankful that I’m important to you but you have to remember that you’re important to me also. I would die to keep you safe. Remember that." Loosening his hold on Dar’s head, Tao in turn was surprised by Dar’s sudden grab for him. 

"No matter what happens, Tao, I’m glad you travel with me and I won’t regret any part of it either. You are important to me and I’m glad you feel the same towards me. Don’t forget that I would die to keep you safe. I’ll worry about you as much as you worry about me but I promise to try and keep guilt out of it." Releasing a stunned Tao, Dar stood up and walked back around the fire and settled on the ground to sleep. "Now, we can go to bed. Sleep well, Tao." Closing his eyes, Dar listened in amusement as Tao began to grumble about high-handed Beastmasters and weren’t Eirons supposed to be eloquent until he heard Tao settle in for the night. 

"Good night, Dar." The quiet whisper followed him into his sleep. 

***************** 

Ducking into an empty room, Arina took a moment to review what she had learned so far. The fortress was rather small and empty, there was no indication that anyone but the guards had been here in a rather long time. Unsure of what to make of the situation, Arina looked around at the room that she had entered and then gasped. The room was decorated with the skins of animals, familiar skins. A long table held a map that was similar to the one Voden had created during his brief reign in Xinca. Glancing around carefully, she was reassured that there was no one else in the room with her before turning her attention back to the map. 

"Great, Voden’s room. How do I get myself into these situations?" Shaking her head, Arina began a systematic exploration of the room. Eventually she found herself in the bedroom and stopped in shock when a cold, sharp sword point dug into her neck. 

"Hello, Arina. It’s good to see you again." The familiar voice caused her to close her eyes in resignation and she lowered her hand from where it had been reaching for her metal knife. 

"Voden. Fancy seeing you here." Arina attempted to hide how shaken his presence made her, and turning her head, smiled at her former king. "You’re looking good. Better than I expected."

Voden smiled. "No thanks to you, my dear. But I have been getting all the care I need here in the Downs and I’m feeling much better." Gesturing to two of his guards that had entered the room, he watched as his former tracker was restrained. "I hadn’t expected to see you ever again Arina. What brings you to my home?"

Arina paused and tested the ropes that bound her hands behind her before answering him, "I heard that you were creating an army and wanted to get my facts straight before you showed up in Xinca." 

Voden raised an eyebrow in surprise, "What made you think I was going to show up in Xinca?"

Arina laughed. "I may not know much about you, Voden, but I do know that you hate to be denied anything. Zad took Xinca from you, therefore you want to get it back, especially now that Zad is no longer king."

A frown graced Voden’s face as he listened to Arina speak and, before Arina could question the reason for the frown, he gestured to the guards once again. "Take her to the throne room."

Uncomfortably aware that she was missing something, Arina did not fight the guards who led her away. Taking a last look at Voden, she felt the beginnings of fear at his solemn expression. ‘What does he know?’

***************

The camp beside the river bustled with life as men, women, children and animals scurried around gathering food for the annual evening meal. Ritual foods were taken to the teepee of the herb mistress, Jia, and blessed. Taking a breather, Jia pushed back her long dark hair and glared over at Heng’s teepee where he presided over the preparation for the evening meal. 

"Don’t stare so hard or even an ancient man like Heng will feel your hate, Jia." The whispered command dragged Jia’s eyes away from the old man and to the much younger one that stood beside her.

"Where have you been, Xing? I haven’t seen you since this morning." Jia glared half-heartedly at the darkly handsome man. "I was expecting your help with the ritual preparations."

Shaking his head, Xing, Gui Bo (Honored Eldest Son) of the tribe of Siyu (See-u) wondered at the arrogance of the woman whose teepee he visited. "You expected the next chieftain to help with such a menial task? I had thought better of you, Jia."

Wincing at the subtle warning, Jia bowed her head in outward supplication while inside she seethed. "My apologies, Gui Xing, I had forgotten that you had better things to do with your time than assist me in my duties." Loud laughter caused Jia to raise her head quickly and stare at Xing. A quick movement and Jia found herself caught in a deceptively strong embrace.

"I knew there was a reason I keep you around. It’s refreshing to be spoken to as an equal since my father and Heng continue to see me as nothing more than a child." The bitterness in the last words told Jia all she needed to know and she wound her arms around Xing’s neck. 

"You were with Gui Shan and Heng, weren’t you? What did they want this time?"

"Old Heng had a vision, or so he says. He informed my father and later me that someone in the tribe was contemplating treachery. He wouldn’t go into details with me but I believe that he knows what we are trying to do." Listening to her lover’s words, Jia felt a chill down her spine at the thought of Heng knowing their plans.

"Does he know anything damaging? Should we rethink our plan of attack? We’ve waited so long for this moment, it would be a shame to wait." The whine in her voice caused Xing to clasp her closer and, leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "No, he doesn’t know anything that can stop our plan. Besides, there’s not too much he can do to stop what has already happened." The dark satisfaction in his voice raised Jia’s face from his neck and she smirked. "It’s begun then has it?"

Looking down into the brown eyes of his love, Xing was once again struck by how truly beautiful and evil his lover was. A perfect match for him. Drawn to her as bees to honey, he tasted deeply of her lips and felt his own lips curl into a smirk. "Yes, my love, it has begun. And nothing will stand in our way." Another kiss sealed their deal and, with matching desires burning in their hearts, the two lovers separated, going about their duties, all the while waiting for their moment.


	4. Act Three

The throne room was large and quite well taken care of; tapestry hanging on the walls depicted scenes of battle while the animal skins laying around spoke volumes about an unknown hunter’s skill. Arina was unable to reconcile the evidence of her eyes with her knowledge of Voden’s hunting abilities. Looking toward the center of the room, she saw a dais on which two thrones sat. The larger throne had a deep purple cape draped over it while the smaller one had the skin of a white tiger covering it. 

Confusion caused Arina to tense as she attempted to decipher the mystery of the animal skins, the second throne and, most worrisome of all, the color that adorned the large throne. ‘Voden hates color. I’ve never seen him with anything but white. What is going on here?’

Searching the room for a possible means of escape, she was startled when Voden appeared from out of the shadows of the long curtains draped over the tent structure above the two thrones. 

Settling himself in the larger of the two thrones, he studied the silent warrior carefully. "How long has it been since you’ve been in Xinca?" His question carried honest curiosity, which warned Arina that things were much worse than she had imagined. 

"I left Xinca several moon cycles ago." Arina couldn’t keep her worry out of her voice and her question was sharp and to the point. "What do you know?" 

The guards who stood to either side of her took exception to her tone and quickly pulled on the rope that bound her arms. "Watch how you speak to our King, woman."

Wincing in pain, Arina turned her dark eyes on the guard that had spoken. "Careful how you treat me, I don’t think Voden would like it if you injured me."

The older guard flicked his eyes to his king to gauge his expression while the younger one stepped back and away from the anger in her eyes. 

Smirking at Arina, the older guard lifted his hand and suddenly slapped her hard across her cheek. "I don’t think our King minds as much as you think he does."

The angry red mark stood out on her cheek as Arina glared at the guard who had slapped her, "When I leave here, I’ll be paying you a visit."

"I’ll look forward to that." The guard laughed in her face while Voden watched.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted the scene. "What is going on?"

****************

Heng stood in the doorway of his teepee and watched with narrowed eyes as Xing and Jia attended to their duties. Unable to shake off a sense of unease, Heng sent a prayer to the Divine that what She had shown him would not come to pass. 

"Are you all right, Grandfather?" A musical voice coaxed him from his prayer and he opened his eyes to smile with pride at his one and only granddaughter. 

"Yes, Nuo. I am fine. I was just sending a prayer to the Divine." 

Nodding her head in understanding, Nuo, granddaughter to Heng and future medicine woman, stepped gracefully back to the side and once again began to help the tribal women in their preparations. A sudden thought struck him and Heng called gently to his granddaughter. "Nuo, where is Chao? Should he not be here helping you?"

Pushing a strand of her wayward hair out of her face, Nuo frowned slightly. "Chao left yesterday with Yong and Zhen to capture the totem for tonight. He should be back before nightfall."

"Ah." Satisfied, Heng turned back to his own duties but a sudden commotion caused him to turn around.

Two disheveled men came stumbling out of the forest closely followed by two equally bloodied and bruised foxes. Turmoil ruled the tribe for a moment as the two men entered the half-circle and approached the largest teepee. 

Standing in front of the medicine teepee, Heng shared a worried glance with Gui Shan who had joined him. No longer a very young man, Shan nevertheless carried himself with the poise and confidence of one who was much younger. His silver-grey hair fell to his shoulders and was adorned in beads and feathers while around his neck he wore a necklace of gleaming teeth. At his feet crouched a lion that was also no longer young. Heng and Nuo stood to the right of Gui Shan and his companion. Xing soon joined his father accompanied by a battle-scarred jackal and his lover, Jia.

By the time the two men had reached the teepee, the whole tribe had gathered around waiting for them. The deep silence that had fallen was broken by the voice of the tribal chieftain, Gui Shan, who addressed the two men. "Yong, Zhen, what has happened? Where is my son?"

The naked worry in the final question caused Yong to wince and he opened his mouth to answer but was too late. "He…we were attacked by Surya. For no reason, Chao’s cougar turned on us and attacked. Chao fell into the river before we could get to him." Zhen gestured toward his companions. "As you can see, we barely managed to escape. If it weren’t for Arun and Aruna, we too would surely have died."

A gasp of disbelief echoed in the grim silence that Zhen’s words had wrought and Nuo, granddaughter to Heng and betrothed to Gui Chong Chao, fainted. Chaos reigned for moments as the women of the tribe gathered the young woman to them and took her and the battered foxes to the teepee of the herbal mistress followed closely by Jia. 

Shan gestured for Yong and Zhen to follow Heng and Xing into the medicine teepee and then turned to the waiting people of his tribe. "Continue to prepare for the evening meal. We will discuss the information and share it with you after the meal."

Gui Shan, looking much older than he had but moments ago, joined the other men in the teepee. 

**************

From out of the shadows surrounding the thrones appeared a young, beautiful woman. Dressed in a gown of royal purple, the woman had a circlet of pure gold encircling her forehead while her long, golden hair was caught behind her in a thick braid. Stepping down to stand beside the young king, the woman turned her cold brown eyes onto the bound warrior. 

"Voden, who is this?" Her melodious yet angry voice seemed to echo in the throne room and the soldiers that held Arina’s leash trembled. The only person who was unmoved by the raw anger in the woman’s voice was Voden. "Ah, My Love, just the person I wanted to see. This is Arina, the warrior I’ve told you about. It seems that she heard of my good fortune and decided to pay me a visit for old times sake."

Confusion reigned in her mind as Arina watched her former king take the hand of a woman and gently kiss it. ‘Voden, saying ‘love’? What’s wrong with this picture?’ Thoughts raced through her mind faster than she could understand. Having a pretty good idea about what Arina was thinking, Voden decided to put her out of her misery. "Arina."

Old habits died hard and Arina found herself coming to attention at the command in her former king’s voice. A smile graced Voden’s face as he watched his prize tracker attempt to hide how much her own instinctive reaction had thrown her. Knowing full well that the desire of a captured animal was to hide its weakness, Voden pretended to ignore Arina’s reactions and instead turned back to the woman standing at his side. "My dear Arina, I’ve wanted to share this news with you more than you’ll know. This is my bride and queen, Keenaht, to whom I owe all my allegiance and my heart."

His words seemed to echo in the deep silence that had fallen in the great hall and Arina gulped as she finally realized that Voden had changed from the king that she had known for so long. The feelings of fear that she felt surprised and scared her almost as much as the king and queen that stood before her and Arina wondered how much worse things could get.

As if he knew what she was thinking Voden turned back to her. "I’d almost forgotten your question. It seems that Zad is no longer dead and Xinca has welcomed him back as their king. The kingdom of Eldar is no longer and Sendar, oldest brother to the Beastmaster, has taken the kingdom of Astarte and has placed Dar in exile for the murder of the queen, their mother. Sendar has decreed that anyone who helps Dar will be executed. Of course, the Eiron scholar, Tao, has ignored the decree and headed out of Xinca with him. I do believe that is most of the news that you’ve missed while you’ve been traveling."

Shock held Arina immobile until he finished speaking and then she slid to the ground, wincing as the ropes binding her jerked her arms. A sudden lessening of the pain caused her to look at the guards who had loosened their hold on the ropes and then she turned her head to stare up at Voden, who looked back at her calmly. The calm on his expression more than his words convinced Arina that he had spoken the truth and, inexplicably, she felt tears fill her eyes at the thought of her friends and the pain they must be going through. 

A grimace appeared on Voden’s face at the emotional reaction of his former tracker, and turning to his queen, he motioned to the guards to take Arina away. 

****************

Dar and Tao were occupied in their normal morning routine interspersed with gentle teasing on both sides when the moan from the patient alerted them to his return to consciousness. Tao hurried over to the man’s side careful to stay away from the nervous cougar. Only a glance at the Beastmaster insured that Surya kept his claws in while Tao soothed the restless movements of the injured man. 

"Shh, you’re all right. You’re safe."

A loud groan signaled the awakening of the man and Dar found himself leaning closer to Tao in case the cougar attacked again. The tolerant look that Tao sent him acknowledged the worry, but he just shrugged and continued to keep himself between the Eiron and cougar. Dark eyes blinked up at them while the stranger seemed to struggle to understand what was going on. In the space of a blink, several things suddenly happened. 

The stranger yelled, "Surya!!" as he grabbed Tao and pulled himself upright while keeping one hand wrapped around the slender neck of the Eiron and the cougar leapt to a position of guard beside him, spitting and growling at the stunned Beastmaster.

Unable to move for fear that Tao would be injured, Dar was forced to sit still and watch while the stranger stood shakily still using the quiet Eiron as his crutch. As the man attempted to move away from the camp, Dar finally found his voice. "Wait!"

The plea echoed in the camp for a moment before the stranger replied. "Why?"

Holding his hands apart in a gesture of good will, Dar gracefully rose to his feet. "We mean you no harm. My friend, Tao, and I found you and took care of you. Please, let him go."

The stranger glanced down at his bandaged injuries and then at the man he held captive before slowly releasing Tao, who moved quickly but carefully to rejoin Dar. Rubbing at his tender neck, Tao shared a quick glance with the worried Sula before they both turned their attention back to the stranger and the still growling cougar. 

Tired of the noise from the cougar, Dar looked at him and ordered him to be quiet. With a sub-vocal whine, Surya slowly relaxed his position and looked at the Beastmaster apologetically. The stranger looked down in alarm as the cougar lay down at his feet and then turned his wary eyes on the two men before him. "What did you do to him?"

Dar looked at him equally warily as he answered. "I told Surya that it was unnecessary for him to make so much noise when he knew we were no danger to you."

At the mention of the cougar’s name, the man started and stared closely at the Beastmaster. "How…? Who told you that was his name?" Nervously, the man began to look around himself. "Did my brother hire you to kill me?"

Sighing, Tao looked at his patient in exasperation. "Didn’t you hear him? Dar told Surya to be quiet, therefore Surya must have told him his name. Really, sometimes I wonder at the people you end up saving, Dar." 

Dar shook his head at his friend and began to point out the inaccuracies to Tao’s statement. "I didn’t save this man, I was a little too far away to help when you fished him out of the river."

Tao just snorted. "It was your idea."

The stranger stood there in dumfounded silence as he listened to the two friends bicker good-naturedly until he could take it no longer. "What do you mean by ‘fished me out of the river’ and how could you," pointing at Dar, "speak with Surya? The wise one said that only one chosen by the Divine would be able to do such a thing."

***************

Inside the teepee, the two older men stared at the young hunters while Xing looked on. Finally, unable to take the silence anymore, Zhen began to speak.

"Gui Shan, I offer up my humblest apologies. I…we should have been able to do something, anything, to save your son. Instead, we return as failures in our duty to you, your son and the tribe. How can we make it up to you?"

Yong looked askance at his partner but managed to look into the eyes of the Gui and echo the apology with sincerity. "Our lives are in your hands, Gui, do with them as you will."

Silence fell and was broken, this time by Heng. "Yong, Zhen, tell us once more, in detail what happened on this trip and leave nothing out."

Yong, not trusting himself, gestured for Zhen to speak and sat back and listened as the tale unfolded. During this, Xing sat in the corner and absently petted his jackal while his mind raced as he went over his plan once again. Zhen finally finished speaking and then waited. Seizing the moment, Xing opened his mouth and spoke. "Father, I did not wish to speak of this before but now, now I feel partly to blame for this tragedy. If I had but spoken then Chao might still be with us. Forgive me."

Xing made as if to bow and was stopped by the Gui himself. "No, my son, there is no need for you to lower your head to me. What is it that you feel you should have spoken of? Speak it now and we will do what we can."

Nodding his head in gratitude, Xing gestured at the two hunters. "The irrational actions of Surya they mentioned? I had seen similar actions before this day but Chao begged me not to speak of it. He swore that Surya was only acting out because he had been neglecting him in favor of Nuo and that this hunting trip was as much for Surya as for himself. My brother persuaded me that he knew of what he spoke of and that there was nothing to worry about. I know now that it was a lie but…I swear, Father, that had I known I would not have let Chao take Surya hunting."

Gui Shan found himself helpless in the face of his son’s sorrow. "I know that you would have done what you could to protect your brother, Xing, of this I have no doubt. You are not at fault. If anything, I should have made sure that Chao was prepared." Lines of sorrow appeared in his weathered face and he turned to Heng in despair. "Why did not the Divine speak to you of this possibility? Would there not have been a way to escape this senseless death? My son, my son, what have I done?" Gui Shan began to weep for his loss as his eldest son, the medicine man and the two hunters looked on in shared grief.

******************

Once they were alone in the great hall, Voden turned to his wife and asked, "So, my dear Keenaht, what do you think of Arina?"

Brown eyes looked into his blue eyes for a moment before Keenaht sat in her throne and spoke. "She impresses me with her poise. Even though the guards were rough with her, she did not struggle fruitlessly but appeared to be waiting for the right moment to escape. How long do you intend to keep her prisoner?" 

Shrugging, Voden lounged in his throne. "I have no idea. I wasn’t really expecting a visitor anytime soon. Do you think that we should keep her here or should we dispose of her?"

"Dispose of her? Why would you want to do that, Voden? She strikes me as a valuable hostage. Perhaps we can barter over who gets to kill her with the kings of Xinca and Astarte." Her dispassionate voice amused Voden and he laughed outright at her words. 

"I really don’t think Zad or Sendar would be too interested in killing her. Rather, they might use her as bait for the Beastmaster." Voden nodded to himself. "I think that’s what I’ll do with her also."

A frown creased Keenaht’s forehead as she attempted to follow her husband-king’s words. "You are going to use her as bait for the Beastmaster? Why? I didn’t think you were so interested in the Beastmaster’s death and if you plan on harboring him, well Sendar of Astarte might have a problem with that."

Voden smiled. "Ah, but I don’t think that Sendar would kill us if we handed his brother over to him, do you? We can dispose of Arina and the Eiron after we’ve handed Dar over then Sendar will be forced to repay us for capturing his brother. I would rather have the new king in our debt than just kill Arina and gain nothing, don’t you agree, Keenaht?"

Sighing, Keenaht had to agree with her husband-king’s logic. "What are we going to do with her in the meantime, my Lord? Our dungeons are not in any shape to receive a guest, and the guards will have to sleep sometime."

Voden leaned back in his throne while he thought. Suddenly he clapped his hands in excitement. "I know, we’ll invite her to dinner."

"Invite her to dinner? What are you talking about, she’s our prisoner." Keenaht’s voice was incredulous as she stared at her husband. "What will we talk about?"

Voden laughed as he began to make plans. "We’ll talk about how we met, my Love. I’ve wanted to talk to someone about my adventures and who better to understand me than my former tracker? Oh, we’ll have a grand dinner while we confuse the poor prisoner."

Shaking her head at her husband’s antics, Keenaht sighed once again. "Confusing the prisoner - what about me? I think I’m more confused than she’ll be and I know what we’ll be doing."

Ignoring her, Voden walked away, issuing orders for the dinner leaving Keenaht alone to stare at the place where Arina had been standing. "I hope he knows what he’s doing." With one final look around, Keenaht stood and walked out of the great hall to begin her own preparations. 

**************

In the herb mistress’ teepee, Nuo blinked slowly to consciousness. Turning her head carefully, she watched as Jia ministered to the injured foxes. Suddenly, Jia turned her head and stared directly at Nuo. "Are you feeling better?"

Startled and embarrassed, Nuo sat up carefully. "My apologies, Mistress Jia. I didn’t mean to put you out at such a busy time. I feel much better now, and with you permission, I will leave you to your duties." Bowing slightly, she stood and walked out the entrance. 

Jia sat and watched both of them leave before turning her gaze back to the foxes. "You would almost think that she doesn’t like me." Dismissing her from her thoughts, Jia stood and stretched before going to the entrance herself and peering out at the teepee where Xing was. "I wonder how he’s doing? How I wish I could be there with them when he makes his proposal, it should be exciting to see." Smiling in wicked anticipation, Jia turned back to finish the last of her preparations for the evening meal. 

*****************

"The Divine, huh. Do you suppose that his people are referring to Curupira when they speak of this Divine?" The quiet whisper drew Dar’s attention away from the man in front of him to the man beside him. 

"I don’t know. It’s possible I suppose, but I don’t even know what tribe he’s referring to." Dar pointed out the lack of information they had to Tao, who just smiled at him.

"I’m sure we’ll get all the answers we need from…." His smile turned to a frown and he turned back to the man who had been his patient. "What is your name?"

The dark-haired man straightened up from soothing his cougar at the sound of Tao’s voice and, after sharing a quick look with Surya, answered. "My name is Chao, I am the second son of Shan, leader of the Siyu."

Blank stares met his announcement and Chao looked uncomfortable for a moment before dropping his shoulders. "You have no idea who the Siyu are, do you?"

Dar shook his head while Tao just looked puzzled. 

Chao rested a nervous hand on Surya’s head and looked at the two men before him. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Well, if you don’t mind, could you tell us about your tribe and how you ended up in the river? I am rather curious." Tao motioned at the conveniently located logs.

"You’re always curious, Tao." Dar tried and failed to keep the laughter from his voice. He turned to the now sitting Chao in apology. "Once Tao gets interested, there’s nothing that will stop him from finding out everything there is about whatever made him curious. If you don’t want to talk to us, you’d better leave."

"Dar! I’m not that bad. Besides, don’t you want to know more about the Siyu and this Divine who has a Chosen One? I’m also rather curious--not a word, Dar!" he glared at his friend before addressing Chao. "Now, about this brother you thought hired us to kill you?"

Tao’s question lingered in the sudden silence as Chao and Dar struggled with separate memories. 

Finally, Chao broke the silence. "I don’t know where to start." 

"Well, my teacher always said the beginning was a good place to start. Why don’t you try that?" Tao made himself comfortable as he leaned against a large log. Ruh curled up beside him and, after exchanging a suspicious glance at Surya, lowered his head onto his paws and closed his eyes. Watching the interaction between the two cats, Dar smiled slightly before sitting down beside Tao and motioned at Chao. "What he said. Start at the beginning and continue till the end."

Inclining his head slightly, Chao thought for a moment before beginning. "My people are the Siyu; those entrusted with maintaining balance. Our stories tell us that the Divine spoke to our ancestors and gave them the duty of being the balance between man and animal. Our duty was to live in harmony and balance with all life and to welcome into our teepees the animals that are beloved by Her. We have lived this way for more seasons than the mind can comprehend but something began to change not too long ago. There was an unsettling throughout the lands and we were unable to understand what had happened."

Dar couldn’t help but shudder at the memories Chao’s words brought forth but after exchanging a glance with Tao, he returned his attention to the young storyteller who continued with his tale. "After the unsettling, the lands were in turmoil and we were forced to leave the area in which we had been camped for half of my lifetime. As we made our way through the Downs, I began to notice odd things within the tribe. My brother and several of his companions would leave the camp at night and not return until dawn. When they did return however, they always smelled of death and blood. The killing of animals is forbidden which meant that I couldn’t understand why my brother would smell of dead animals. One night, I decided to follow him and see if I could determine the reason for his smell."

"You followed him? Probably not the smartest thing you could have done." Tao smiled at him to take the sting out of his words but Chao just nodded.

"I believe that my brother or one of his companions saw me leave the site of their kill and my brother told them to kill me."

Dar stared silently at the ground as if to hide his thoughts from the two men with him, but Tao, realizing where his thoughts had taken Dar, shifted attention away from him with a question. "Why were you even out with these people if you knew they were trying to kill you?"

"I didn’t realize that the men I was hunting with would try and kill me. I’ve known Yong and Zhen since I was a young boy and I didn’t think that they would have anything to do with Xing's plans." Chao shook his head in sorrow. "I guess I was wrong."

"Wait a minute. If you’re forbidden to kill, why were you out hunting?" Tao’s puzzled voice broke through Dar’s thoughts and he lifted his head up as he too waited for an answer.

"We weren’t hunting for food, we were hunting for a totem." 

"What’s a totem?" This time, Dar asked the question. 

Chao struggled to explain. "A totem is any animal that the Divine sends to us for the annual feast. This animal will teach our tribe a lesson and we in turn will teach it to other tribes. Last feast, we had a wolf as a totem. We followed the wolf for several months as he taught us how to be independent and dependent; showed us how necessary we each are to our collective survival. We then taught everyone we meet what the Divine, through the wolf, had taught us. This feast, I was given the honor of going totem hunting. I didn’t expect my brother to try and kill me during such a sacred time."

Dar and Tao exchanged glances again; Dar’s pained while Tao’s was sympathetic. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the past, Tao decided to focus on the future and turned back to his patient. 

"I need to take a look at your injuries and then you need to eat, we can deal with your situation afterwards." Standing, Tao made his way to Chao’s side and, after glancing apprehensively at Surya, knelt beside the young man and began to inspect the injuries. While he was occupied with Chao, Dar began to gather some food together. As soon as Tao finished reapplying the bandages, Dar handed the food to Chao and then gently maneuvered Tao to the side where he pushed him down onto the conveniently located log and held out his hand. 

Tao looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

Shaking his head bemusedly, Dar pointed at Tao’s arm. "Have you forgotten that you were injured also? I need to change your bandages too. Show me your arm and I’ll take care of it."

Puzzlement gave way to understanding as Tao realized that he had forgotten and he held his arm out for Dar to inspect. Working quickly, Dar soon had the injury bandaged once again and then the two of them began to gather their belongings from around the campsite. By the time they had cleared the area, Chao had finished his breakfast and stood ready for their next action. Running his hand through his hair, Tao looked at the two men with their giant cats and smiled ruefully. "Well then, we should head out if we want to make it in time for this evening meal."

Surprise flashed in Chao’s eyes while Dar looked over at Tao and smiled.

"What? Why do we want to make it in time for the evening meal?" Chao couldn’t quite keep his confusion out of his voice and had to wince when Surya looked up at him as if in surprise.

"We’re going to stop your brother from taking over the tribe. You don’t want him using your death to destroy not only your traditions but your tribe too, now do you?" Tao’s matter-of-fact voice brought everything into perspective for Chao and he shared a feral grin with his cougar. "No, we wouldn’t want that to happen."

****************

After watching his father weep for a time, Xing could take it no longer and burst into speech. "Father! We will all mourn the loss of your son, my brother, at the evening meal but we must be prepared to tell the tribe what we are going to do about the situation. The totem for the meal is not here and Chao lost his life attempting to find one and bring it to us. Perhaps it is time to be thinking of a new way of doing things." 

Searching the eyes of his eldest son, Gui Shan repeated his words. "A new way of doing things? What are you speaking of, my son?"

"Surely you have witnessed the increased agitation in the animals over the last several new moons? The newer ones were harder to handle and several of them escaped before bonding properly with the tribe. Our totems are turning against us and we have been helpless to stop them. The only ones who remain loyal to us are those, like your lion and Heng’s buffalo, that have been with us for most of their lives. Even my jackal, Vinay, has been with me longer than Surya was. I believe that the Divine is trying to tell us something and that we have failed to listen and that is why Chao paid the ultimate price."

Heng narrowed his eyes at the eldest son as he finally broke his silence. "What then would you have us do, Gui Bo Xing? Would you have us turn our back on the traditions of our ancestors and cast ourselves away from the will of the Divine?"

Xing stared back at the medicine man with flashing eyes and exclaimed, "Yes! I believe that the Divine has been telling us that the old ways are no longer what we need and that we should step out of the shadows and into the new day. Can you not sense it all around you? Things have changed greatly while we have wandered from place to place and yet we still remain the same. No longer!" 

Turning to his father, Xing pleaded with him. "Father, I have lost a brother this day and I refuse to be silent any longer. The old ways are old and unnecessary in this new day; we must change with it. Traditions of generations past are no longer what we need to fulfill our destiny. The totem animals have shown us this, why should we ignore them any longer? If the Divine wished us to continue in the old ways, surely She would have sent us a sign in the shape of the totem for the evening meal. Instead, Chao is gone and Surya has turned on us. If that is not a sign from the Divine then what is?"

Uncertain eyes met confident eyes and Gui Shan was forced to acknowledge the truth in his son’s words. "Very well. After the evening meal, you will voice your suspicions to the tribe and we will reach a decision. Know this, my son. If the tribe agrees that the old ways are no longer our ways, then I will step down as Gui and you will take over. You will be Gui and lead the tribe along a new path, if that is the will of the Divine and the tribe. Now go. Do what you must do for your part in the evening meal. The Divine be with you, my son." 

As Xing left the teepee closely followed by Vinay, Gui Shan turned his attention back to the two silent hunters. "Yong, Zhen. You too must go and prepare for your part in the meal. Do not tell anyone of what has been discussed in this space until after the announcement tonight. Now go." 

The two hunters rose and, after bowing to the Gui, left the teepee. Silence reigned in the teepee after their departure, broken only by the sound of the fire crackling before them. Finally, Shan turned to his oldest and dearest friend. "Heng, do you agree with my decision? Or should I have waited a little longer before agreeing to Xing’s plans? Help me out, old friend, for I fear that I am lost in grief and sorrow." 

"Ah, my friend, how I wish I could answer you without doubt." Saddened eyes stared into the fire as Heng chose his next words carefully. "The Divine only speaks in riddles and half seen visions, She does not always give me a clear sign. Your grief and sorrow are also mine, for Chao was to have been wed to my granddaughter and now it will not be. I fear that Xing has maneuvered us into this situation but I do not truly believe that a total abandonment of the old ways is the answer to our problems. We can only pray that the Divine will work Her will even in the midst of the changing tide. Now, my friend, we too must prepare ourselves for the evening meal."

Heng rose and headed for the entrance. Just before exiting the teepee, Heng turned back to the still motionless Gui and spoke. "The Divine will send us a totem, only it will be in a form that we have never before seen. A new day is dawning but it will not necessarily be Xing’s way that will greet us on the morn." 

A deep sigh followed the medicine man out as Gui Shan stood. "I hope you are right, old friend."


	5. Act Four

The evening meal was, for the first time in the tribe’s memory, conducted in near silence. Even the special dance performed by the herb mistress was not met with the same enjoyment as it had been in celebrations past. The very air seemed to be hushed with grief when Gui Shan, Gui Bo Xing and Heng stood in the center of the circle. Heng began the meeting with a prayer for the wisdom of the Divine to be with each member of the tribe and then Gui Shan addressed the tribe. 

"This day is a sad one for my son and I, for we have lost Gui Chong Chao. Yong and Zhen have told us what they could of the tragedy that befell him this day, and though we cannot truly understand why this has happened, Xing feels that the Divine has spoken to him through this incident." Turning to the silent young man beside him, Gui Shan motioned him forward. "Listen to the words of my eldest son, my tribe, and think on them deeply. The choice you make will determine the direction this tribe will take on the morn. If you choose to follow the way that Gui Bo Xing advocates, then I will step down as Gui and remain in this place while the tribe moves on."

Bowing to his father, Xing thanked him for his candor and then addressed the waiting tribe. "I mean no disrespect to the old ways that we have followed for so long. I, too, share a bond with Vinay that is like family. However, the old ways are falling apart around us and I believe that this latest of incidents with Chao and Surya is a warning from the Divine. We must seek out a new way and leave behind the ways of our ancestors. This evening meal is the first in our history in which there has been no new totem. I urge each and every one of you to think about what you know and decide for yourselves whether to follow the old ways, which have cost us Chao, or to welcome a new way."

Xing’s words seemed to echo in the still silence that had fallen over the gathered tribe and in that moment, as if it had been a sign from the Divine, the screech of an eagle was heard high above them. Every member of the tribe gazed above them into the gathering gloom of nightfall and saw, glowing in the light of the moons, the gliding form of an eagle. Whispers filled the air as the tribe struggled to comprehend the significance of the sign. Into the bedlam fell Xing’s words. "What better sign could the Divine give than to send to us a totem of the sky? Never have our ancestors spoken of one of the birds in the sky as being a totem. Heed the sign of the Divine and follow the new way with me!"

Heng and Gui Shan listened as the tribe appeared to be swayed by Xing’s words. Just as Heng was getting ready to plead with the tribe to think carefully before making a rash choice a new voice was heard.

"Don’t listen to the words of a mad man! Xing would have you believe that the Divine used my death as a sign to seek a new way when he himself orchestrated every move!"

As one, the tribe turned and stared at the man who had spoken. On the outskirts of the circular gathering place stood three men. The man who had spoken nervously petted the cougar that stood beside him and was easily recognized as Gui Chong Chao, the ‘dead’ son of Gui Shan. To his right stood a golden man who was accompanied by a tiger while the eagle circled above him. On Chao’s left stood a darker man who watched the proceedings with calm curiosity. 

************

The evening wasn’t going the way Arina had expected it to, in fact she found herself wondering if she had been injured in the head because she couldn’t quite understand what was happening. 

Sitting across from Voden and his wife, Keenaht, Arina carefully bit into the bread that she held while the king and queen talked quietly together and ate the boar soup before them. Unable to resist the smell any longer, Arina began to eat the soup as well. "I’m impressed, Voden, this soup is delicious. Thank your cook for me."

The silence that had existed between the prisoner and her captors’ was broken with the praise and Voden and Keenaht turned to look at Arina. 

"Why thank you, Arina. The recipe is actually one of mine. I’m glad you like it." Keenaht smiled at her in pride. 

"Well then, Voden made an excellent choice in choosing you as his bride. This soup alone would buy you loyal soldiers." Arina nodded her head as she continued to eat the feast before her. 

Glancing over at Keenaht, Voden smirked before glancing at Arina once more. "Well, in all honesty, I didn’t choose her as my bride, she chose me as her husband."

The spoon clattered to the table as Arina lost her grip on it. "You…." Shaking her head to clear it, she started again. "You were chosen by her?" Looking over at the silent queen, Arina asked for clarification. 

"Yes, I chose him for my husband, is that surprising?" Keenaht looked inquiringly at her husband as she answered the warrior.

"Umm, yes. I have never known Voden to be receptive to the idea of women in charge of his life. He didn’t like it when his own mother tried to control him, so I can’t really see him going along with you choosing him. Sorry, Voden." Almost as an afterthought, Arina apologized to her former king.

Laughter shook the slender shoulders of the queen and Voden and Arina looked at her with identical expressions of surprise. 

Finally, Voden couldn’t take it anymore and he leaned toward her as he questioned her. "What is so funny, my Love?" 

Wiping away her tears, Keenaht looked over at her husband and then at the prisoner. "I apologize, my Lord. I just remembered how you reacted when we first met and couldn’t help myself." Laughter still evident in her voice, she attempted to placate her husband who frowned at her. 

"I wasn’t that bad, was I?" Curiosity warred with petulance in Voden’s voice and at that Arina found herself biting her lips to keep from laughing herself. For the first time since Arina had entered the dinning room, the air seemed to be lighter and friendlier. At ease with each other for the moment, Keenaht and Arina shared a look of understanding.

****************

The tribe reacted with varying degrees of shock and wonder as they stared at the ‘dead’ son of their chieftain. Gui Shan himself was frozen, unable to comprehend what his son was saying much less that his son was alive. Heng shot a quick glance at Xing and was unsurprised to see the naked anger in his eyes as he glared at his younger brother.

"Happy to see me, Bo Xing? Or have I spoiled this perfect opportunity of yours?" Chao’s mocking voice cut through the turmoil and silenced the voices of the tribe. Gui Shan forced himself to pay attention to the events occurring while Heng shot an assessing glance at the still silent strangers with Chao. 

As Gui Shan watched, Xing seemed to shake himself out of whatever paralysis had affected him and strode toward his younger brother with arms outstretched. 

"How could you say such a thing, Chong Chao? I am delighted beyond words that you are safe and alive." At his brother’s flinch away from his greeting, Xing frowned in confusion. "What has caused you to believe that I would not be happy to see you?"

Turning his attention to the strangers, his eyes narrowed in thought. "Have these strangers been filling your mind with falsehoods, my brother? That must be it. Guards!"

The events that followed seemed to unfold faster than they could be processed. Several guards moved forward to do their leaders bidding as the eagle that had hovered above the golden stranger dove towards them, talons outstretched. Grabbing at the closest weapon, Xing let loose an arrow that found its mark in the left leg of the eagle that gave a shriek of pain and faltered in the air. 

Dar reached behind himself and grabbed his staff-weapon and, while brandishing it toward Xing, told Tao to see to Sharak’s injury. The Beastmaster glared at the man who had harmed one of his friends and waited for Tao to tell him how bad it was. 

"I’ll need some help taking care of this injury, Dar." Tao’s softly spoken words took Dar’s attention off of the scowling man in front of him and back to his friend. Ignoring the guards that had frozen when he had first moved, Dar put his staff-weapon back in its sheath and moved closer to Tao to give him a hand. 

Taking advantage of the moment, Xing once again gestured the guards forward and they moved to encircle the two men and, using their spears, attempted to maneuver them away from the fire. 

"No!"

"Stop!" 

Chao and Gui Shan’s voices overlapped but the command in their Gui’s voice halted the guards’ movements. The guards glanced between their leader and their chieftain and hesitated. Not a fool, Gui Shan caught the glances and realized just how much control his son had taken away from him already. Saddened, he turned to the tribe, who had been watching the occurrences silently, and spoke. 

"My son, Gui Bo Xing has spoken to us of turning away from the old traditions and creating new ones. We were interrupted before a consensus could be made and now my second son has returned from the dead with an accusation addressed at my first son. Xing has violated the most important tradition and has injured a creature of the Divine. What is your answer to his proposition? Are you ready to deny the old traditions and follow the new traditions under the leadership of my son? The guards have seemingly made their choice already. Have you also done so?"

**************

The tribe sat and listened in frozen silence as Chao argued with his father. "Father, Bo Xing has been attempting to take control of the tribe from you and if you allow them to choose him as their new leader they will be lead out of the Divine’s Plan and will be destroyed. You cannot truly want them to pay for Xing’s crime." 

As they listened to Chao’s argument, the people began to question what Xing had told them earlier and a debate began among them. Realizing that the tribe was being swayed by Chao’s words, Xing discreetly motioned to the guards encircling the strangers. The guards reacted quickly to the gesture and moved to immobilize Tao, who was concentrating on the arrow still in Sharak’s leg. Reacting to the threat, Ruh growled and Dar looked up at the advancing guards. Understanding what they were attempting, Dar gently moved Sharak into Tao’s arms and grabbed his staff, snapping it together and twirling it, as he moved into position to protect Tao. The sound of Dar’s staff hitting one of the guards’ spears broke through the debate and focused the tribe’s attention on the fight between the stranger and the guards. The fight was short and to the point, ending with victory for Dar as the last guard crashed to the ground at Xing’s feet. 

A scowl crossed Xing’s face momentarily as attention was focused once more on him. Ignoring the guard at his feet, he turned back to the tribe and spoke. "These strangers have deceived Chao and now they have taken out the guards whose job it is to protect my father. I fear that Chao has brought into our midst people who plan to destroy us. I am merely a voice for the Divine. Don’t listen to my brother; heed my warning instead. Chao and these strangers are trying to destroy us!"

"No! These men saved me when my brother’s followers shot me and left me for dead. They have only protected themselves against more of my deceiving brother’s followers. My brother lies to you, these men have no more desire to destroy you then I do." Chao’s impassioned plea on behalf of the two strangers and himself caused confusion among the tribe as they struggled to figure out which of the sons of Gui Shan was lying to them. Into the confusion a voice was raised. "Listen to my words, tribe of Siyu, and heed them well. Whether Xing or Chao are telling us truths or lies the fact that a beloved creature of the Divine is injured does not change." Heng gestured to the still bleeding eagle in Tao’s arms. "I will take this man and the eagle to my teepee and treat the injury. I trust that neither Bo Xing nor Chong Chao will object to this?"

With all attention focused on him to see what he would do, Xing was forced to agree to Heng’s suggestion. 

As the healer approached the two men, Dar moved between his friends and the stranger, denying him access. Heng stared at the man before nodding his head and stepping back. Turning to Tao, Dar asked. "Will Sharak be all right?"

Looking down at the arrow still sticking out of Sharak’s leg, Tao smiled grimly. "I think so. But I will need some help and that man," nodding towards the patiently waiting Heng, "appears to be the healer of this tribe. He should be able to help." 

Dar looked uncomfortable, unwilling for Sharak to suffer any more than needed but unconvinced that Tao would be safe with the stranger. Recognizing Dar’s problem, Tao glanced over at the healer. "Dar, he seems to genuinely want to help Sharak. I’ll be all right."

Still uncomfortable, Dar nevertheless nodded. "Be careful." 

Dar watched quietly as Tao was led toward a large teepee by the healer. Ruh realized that the Beastmaster was worried about both of his friends and padded over to his side and settling at his feet in comfort. Watching this Chao was struck by inspiration and, pointing to the tiger raised his voice. "Look at the tiger and tell me that this man is deceiving us! One of the fiercest of the Divine’s creatures voluntarily rests at this man’s feet and Xing would have us believe that he is trying to destroy us! Think back and remember whose hand let loose the arrow that injured the eagle! Xing stands before us and claims that he is the voice of the Divine and yet he injured Her eagle! Is that the action of a true voice?" 

The tribe went silent as they mulled over Chao’s words. 

**************

Once Heng and Tao had reached the teepee, Heng turned to the dark-haired stranger and bowed. "My name is Heng. I am the medicine man and healer of the tribe of Siyu. I extend an apology for my tribe at the reception you and your friends received. With your permission, I would like to assist you in the treatment of your friend the eagle."

After a stunned moment at the ritualistic words, Tao returned the bow, careful to keep from jostling Sharak. "My name is Tao. I am a healer from the tribe of Eiron. I accept the apology you have extended on behalf of your tribe and give permission for you to assist me in the treatment of my friend, Sharak."

The teepee was soon bathed in silence as Tao and Heng worked together to treat the injury to Sharak’s leg. Halfway through their treatment a lithe figure entered into the teepee and approached the two oblivious men. "Grandfather. Is there anyway in which I can be of assistance?"

Heng glanced up quickly at the voice and motioned towards some pots in the corner of the teepee. "Hand me the blue pot, Nuo."

Tao looked up from his work as the blue pot was handed to Heng and caught his breath at who he saw. "Kyra?!" 

A puzzled look was exchanged at the name that had emerged from Tao’s mouth but Heng was too polite to ask whom he was calling, instead he gestured to the young woman who had handed him the pot. "This is my granddaughter, Nuo. She is betrothed to Gui Chong Chao. Nuo, this is Tao, a healer from the tribe of Eiron."

Nuo inclined her head as she was introduced but, when she realized who Tao was, exclaimed, "Then you must be the one who treated Chao’s injuries! I have no words with which to thank you for saving my betrothed. Whatever I can do for you, you have only to ask and it is yours." Gracefully, she bowed low before him, causing Tao to blush. "Please, raise your head. I am a healer; it is my duty to treat those that need my help. I only did what anyone in my place would have done."

Wondering at the healer’s naïveté, Nuo nevertheless raised her head. "No matter, Healer Tao, my offer still remains. Ask anything from me and it will be done."

Tao could only smile at her words as he turned his attention back to Sharak’s leg. Nuo remained with the two healers as they continued the treatment. 

****************

The tribe debated over the words of the two brothers while Gui Shan divided his attention between the tribe and Chao, who was talking with the golden-haired stranger. Watching how Surya reacted to the tiger with the stranger, Shan looked down at his own companion, the lion Babar. Reassuring himself that Xing was going nowhere, Gui Shan walked over to his second son where he bowed his head to the stranger and intoned the ritual words of gratitude and apology. "My name is Gui Shan. I am chieftain of the tribe of Siyu and father to Xing and Chao. I thank you in the name of the Divine for saving the life of Chao. I apologize for the reception you have faced at the hands of Xing and promise you and your companions will be safe while you remain within this camp."

Returning the bow, Dar replied in kind. "My name is Dar. I am a Beastmaster. I accept the thanks, apologies and promised safety you have given me and my companions while we remain here."

Once the ritual was complete, Gui Shan began to ask question after question without waiting for Dar to answer him. "What is a Beastmaster? Who is Curupira? What are the names of your animal companions and who is the other stranger?" 

Listening to the rush of questions, Dar was reminded of Tao and quickly hid a smile. "Curupira is the name of the demon who gave me the gift of communication. A beastmaster is one who is given the gift of communication with all the animals in creation. The tiger’s name is Ruh, the eagle is Sharak and the other stranger is Tao. He is an Eiron healer."

Gui Shan frowned. "A demon gave you the gift of communication with the animals of the Divine? Are you positive that it was a demon that gave you this gift? And can you prove to me that you have such a gift?"

Sharing a look with Chao, Dar nodded. "Yes, I am positive that she was the one that gave me this gift." Looking down at the lion beside Gui Shan, Dar communicated with him and then smiled. "Babar says to tell you that you practiced your tracking skills by following your future wife when she went down to the river to bathe." 

Glancing down at Babar in mild embarrassment, Gui Shan ignored the smirk that was gracing Chao’s face and focused on Dar instead. "I believe you, Beastmaster. Now, you said ‘she’ did you not? So, this demon is female." Gui Shan smiled at that. "Perhaps she is not a demon but another form of the Divine. Yes, that must be, for only one chosen by the Divine would be able to communicate directly with the animals that are Her beloved." Apparently satisfied with his conclusion, Gui Shan bowed once more to Dar before turning back to observe the tribe.

****************

Xing stood to the far side of the campfire watching and listening, as his carefully laid plans appeared to be disintegrating before his very eyes. Suddenly, someone grabbed his sleeve and, quietly blending into the darkness beyond the campfire, he joined the two people that stood there. "Zhen, Jia. I needed credible witnesses and you two were nowhere to be seen. What have you been doing?"

"My apologies, Gui Xing. I was taking care of a loose end." Zhen gestured to Jia as he continued. "Mistress Jia was assisting me."

Raising his eyebrow at his lover and his trusted aide, Xing silently commanded them to elaborate. 

"You remember Yong? When Chao reappeared with the strangers, he told me that he was going to go to Gui Shan and tell him the truth. I figured that you wouldn’t be too happy with that and so, with Mistress Jia’s help, I disposed of him." Zhen looked at his leader with pride. "The body is waiting for whatever plans you decide to use it for."

Wavering between pride and anger, Xing shook a finger at his aide. "Well done, Zhen, but don’t make a habit of doing things behind my back. This time it will work to my advantage so I won’t make a fuss about it. Don’t do it again though." Turning to his lover, he reached out and grabbed her, holding her close he whispered into her ear. "Mistress Jia, if you intend to be at my side when I become chieftain of this tribe I suggest that you not go off without first telling me what you are going to be doing. Do you understand?"

Audibly swallowing, Jia nodded. "I understand. Please forgive me, Gui Xing."

Setting her loose, Xing smiled at the two as he stared out at the figures of his father, brother and the stranger. "Zhen, I want you to take Yong’s body and go into the forest. Take Aruna and Arun with you and make it look as if the two of them attacked and killed Yong. After that, injure yourself and run into the meeting circle claiming that Arun and Aruna attacked you and Yong. If we can convince the tribe that all the animals are turning against us, we can insure that I gain control of the tribe. Once I have leadership of the tribe, we can dispose of my father, my brother and the others that would stand in our way."

Smiling in agreement, Zhen turned to do his leaders will and stumbled over a furry object. Glaring down at it, he was surprised to see a ferret scurry away into the darkness. Making sure that Xing had not seen his clumsiness, Zhen hurried away. 

***************

Podo scurried over to Dar and chittered to get his attention. Reaching down to gather her up, Dar listened as she told him of the two men and one woman who were plotting in the darkness. Looking across the meeting circle, Dar watched as Xing walked out of the shadows. 

"Chao." In a voice little more than a whisper Dar called Chao over to him. "Is your brother involved with a woman?"

Raising his eyebrows in curiosity, Chao thought for a moment before nodding. "Mistress Jia, the herb mistress. She is my brother’s lover and would do anything to help him. Why do you ask?"

"Podo saw a woman and a man meeting with your brother in the darkness. They appeared to be plotting something together. The other man disappeared into the darkness while Xing just now reappeared. I don’t think he’s given up on gaining control of the tribe."

Nodding his understanding, Chao walked quickly over to his father and whispered in his ear. "Father, Xing is up to something. Be ready for anything."

Quirking his eyebrow at his second son, Gui Shan just nodded. 

Not too long after their whispered consultation a shout was heard and the tribe became silent as they listened to the sounds of a struggle coming from the forest. A moment later, a bloodied and bruised Zhen burst into the camp and ran into the meeting circle. Falling to the ground before Gui Shan, he raised his hands that were covered in blood and cried out. "Look at my hands, Gui Shan! The blood that covers them comes from my hunting partner, Yong. He is dead, killed by our companions, Arun and Aruna. For no reason, they attacked us and killed him. Gui Shan, I beg of you, listen to your son, Xing and stop this madness before more of us are killed or injured by the creatures that are supposed to be our companions."

A hush fell on the tribe as they listened to Zhen’s words and some of the tribe began to look at their animal companions with doubt and fear. Gui Shan and Chao were without words and they looked on as the tribe began to fracture. 

Into the silence, Xing raised his voice. "Did I not warn you, my people? I told you that the Divine was telling us to change our ways and you would not listen to me, instead you allowed my father and brother to cloud your thoughts. Well, now you can see how displeased She is. She will not offer us another chance. We must turn from the old ways and follow the new way that She has set before us." Turning to the still figure of his father, Xing mocked him saying, "Now do you see, Father? The Divine has spoken truth to me and yet you stand there with your favorite son, unwilling to believe ill of him."

Stepping forward into the center of the meeting circle and causing every eye to stare at her, the herb mistress Jia gestured at Xing. "I stand here before you, people of Siyu, in the belief that the Divine has spoken to Xing and that we are being called to fulfill a new duty. All who believe with me that the Divine has called Gui Bo Xing to be our new leader stand with me and swear your loyalty to him."

Within moments several members of the tribe, the guards, Zhen and Jia all swore their loyalty to their new chieftain, Xing. The once harmonious circle was broken in half as those who had sworn loyalty to Gui Xing joined Jia and Zhen on one side of the fire while those who remained loyal to Gui Shan stood at his side. Chao and Xing glared across the fire at each other as Gui Shan looked on with soul-deep sorrow. 

**************

Tao sighed as he completed the treatment of Sharak’s leg and both healers smiled at each other in satisfaction. Leaving Sharak lying comfortably on a bed of leaves and cloth, Heng motioned for Tao to join him beside the fire in the center of the teepee. Nuo served them tea as the two men discussed several things, including their different methods of healing and the herbs they used. The quiet conversation was broken by a great uproar from the direction of the meeting circle. Sharing identical looks of dread, Heng, Tao and Nuo rushed out of the teepee where Heng stopped a moment to ask Rohan to remain behind for protection. The scene they came upon was heartbreaking for the two Siyu while Tao was reminded of the creation of the Blood Priests. The three of them searched for their friends and eventually found them standing in the center of the second half-circle. 

Nuo ran to her betrothed’s side and flung her arms around him in relief. "Chao!" 

Gathering her close, Chao buried his head in her hair and whispered to her. "Nuo. I was afraid I would never see you again."

Watching as a woman who resembled his lost love embraced another man, Dar closed his eyes at the pain he felt. A gentle hand landing on his shoulder wrenched his eyes open and he looked down into the sympathetic eyes of his best friend. Tao smiled at him tentatively and began to move his hand away but was stopped when Dar placed his own hand over Tao’s. "Thank you, my friend."

Understanding how much it had cost for Dar to say that, Tao smiled at him again before removing his hand and turning to stand at his side, united against whatever foe might come towards them. 

Heng reached the side of his long-time friend, Gui Shan and clasped his shoulder. "Do not despair, Shan. The Divine is ever vigilant and no matter what happens, She will be with us."

Tear-filled eyes looked back at him and Gui Shan whispered brokenly, "My family is shattered and destroyed. My eldest son stands against me and you tell me not to despair? What can I do but despair?"

Heng shook his head in shared sorrow. "Ah, Shan. I promise you that there is more than despair in store for all of us. Remember how I said that the Divine would send us a totem in a form that we have never seen before? Well, after talking with young Tao, I believe that Dar, the Beastmaster, is the totem that the Divine has sent to us."

Mulling over Heng’s idea, Shan was struck with the possibilities and, wiping his tears away, stood straight once again. "I believe that you are right, Heng."

A soft whimper caused Dar to look down and he watched, along with Tao, as two bloodied foxes approached him. Chao, Nuo, Heng and Gui Shan watched silently as the fox companions of Yong and Zhen rolled over onto their bellies in an act of submission. Kneeling beside them, Dar reached out with a gentle hand and righted the exhausted foxes. Communicating with them, Dar’s expression became hard with anger and he looked up at his expectant audience. "Xing used them to trick the tribe. Yong was killed by Zhen and Jia." 

Gui Shan closed his eyes in dejection as the full scope of his eldest son’s betrayal hit him. Chao embraced his father one-handed in comfort while Heng and Nuo stood beside them in sympathy. 

All of a sudden, a loud shout was heard from Xing’s side of the fire and his aide, Zhen could be heard proclaiming loudly. "We are no longer Siyu, for we do not follow the old ways but instead we shall be known as the Xin (Shin) for we follow a new way, with a new leader."

With a mighty roar, the newly named tribe hailed both their new name and leader as the remaining Siyu watched them in somber silence. 

Gui Shan shook his head sadly as his eldest son traveled further down the path of no return. 

Xing narrowed his eyes at his sorrowful father and, walking up to him, he spat in his face. "Nothing you, my brother, Heng or these strangers can do will change the fact that I have won, Father. These people will follow me and I will create a tribe that will strike fear into the hearts of those tribes and villages that have ignored us. We will spread the word of the Divine through force and you will not be able to stop me." Laughing cruelly, Xing turned away from his father and brother and rejoined his new tribe where he embraced his lover, Jia in triumph. 

Into the silence that had fallen as Xing walked away from the Siyu for the last time, Dar spoke. "The Divine does not stand with you and neither will the creatures that are Her beloved. You used your companions as tools to deceive the tribe for your own greed. Now, the creatures that have been your companions for many summers will no longer be with you and you will leave this place alone. The Divine has turned Her back on you and you are no longer Her emissaries."

As he spoke the animals that had remained with the Xin calmly walked away from their human companions. Cries of denial could be heard as long-time companions walked away. Vinay chortled in farewell as he left behind a stunned Xing. The animals that no longer had human companions passed by the Siyu and melted away into the shadowed forest beyond the camp. Shell-shocked, the Xin watched this happen and then, with one voice, turned on their new leader demanding an explanation. Shaking off his own paralysis, Xing smiled at his tribe reassuringly. "Do not worry. I told you that we were no longer following the old ways, the animals leaving us is just confirmation that the Divine is with us. Ignore the ramblings of the stranger, he has no understanding of the true desires of the Divine. Come, gather all your belongings and let us leave this camp and go forth into the world."

Rallying behind their new leader, the people of Xing did his bidding and left Xing, Jia and Zhen alone at the meeting circle. Exchanging looks of puzzlement, Jia and Zhen watched as Xing walked up to Dar. "Who are you to tell me that the Divine has turned Her back on me and my tribe? You are not of the Siyu and have no rights to speak of what Her will is."

The anger in his voice surprised those who listened but Dar just smiled. "I may not be a Siyu and I may not know who the Divine is nor what Her will is but I am the Beastmaster and it is my job to insure the safety of the animals in my care. If the animals had gone with you, you would have used them for your own purposes and I couldn’t let that happen. Leave while you have the chance, Xing, and beware that you do not hunt the animals for they belong to another besides your benevolent Divine. She will not hesitate to stop you for good."

Dar turned away and, at a gesture from Gui Shan, the tribe of Siyu turned and left Xing standing in the center of the meeting circle where he was soon joined by the Xin and they turned, following Xing out of the camp quickly and quietly. 

The remaining Siyu watched in silence as former friends and family turned their backs on their traditions and walked out of the camp. 

**************

The dinner had finished with no more interruptions and they had retired to another room where they sat and chatted quietly among themselves. Finally, unable to help herself, Arina glanced at Voden and Keenaht before asking her question. "So how did the two of you meet?" 

Sharing a smile with his wife, Voden looked back at Arina. "Where do you want me to start?"

Arina smirked back at her former king. "Well, you could start with how you got from the Mydlands to the Downs. Its been driving me crazy trying to figure out how you managed to survive in the forest alone long enough to reach the Downs."

Voden smiled as both Arina and Keenaht leaned forward, waiting for him to begin his tale. 

"When the creature of magic and sorcery allied herself with King Zad and my right hand betrayed me, I fled as far and as fast as I could. Night found me in the depths of the unfamiliar forest, and I must admit, I was unsure of how I would survive. It seemed unlikely that I would live to see too many mornings, as I’m sure you’ll agree?"

This was said in an aside to Arina, who had to nod her head in agreement.

"Sleep was elusive that first night and I traveled as far as I could during the mornings. Finally, I wore myself out and slept. On the fifth morning, I awoke from a deep sleep to see the creature standing before me. You can imagine my horror and fear at her appearance. I’m afraid you would not have recognized me at this point, my dear Arina, as I was little more than a shadow of my former self. Instead of waving her hands and transforming me or destroying me, however, the creature of magic spoke to me.

"Voden of the Nords." Her melodious voice seemed to fill the space around me and, for the first time since I had found myself in the forest, the animals were quiet. Trembling, I made answer. "I am Voden, King of the Nords and of Xinca. What do you want?" 

A smile graced her face and for a moment I felt safe. The illusion of course was broken quite quickly, I’m afraid. 

"I must restore Balance. To do so, I must restore you to a position of quasi-power." Her words seemed to make no sense and I felt my mind slipping away. "Where do you want to be right now?" The question hung in the air between us and I had no idea of what she spoke. My thoughts turned to that of my beloved mother and the rumors that I had heard and, before I knew what I was saying, I whispered. "The Downs."

The creature blinked and then nodded. "Very well. If you so desire, then there shall you be."

I lost consciousness at about that time and knew no more until I awoke on the outskirts of this fair kingdom. A hunting party led by Princess Keenaht found me sheltered in an abandoned cave, and had it not been for my Love’s kindness, I would surely have died." 

Turning to his wife, Voden smiled gently and Arina was suddenly faced with the thought that he might actually be in love with his wife. Unsure of what that could mean for Voden, Arina decided to ignore the thought and turned her attention back to the tale. "Wait! So Queen Keenaht saved you from certain death and made you her husband and king? Or am I missing something?"

Her question broke the silence that had fallen between the king and queen and they turned away from each other to look at their guest-prisoner. Voden shook his head and pointed at Keenaht. "The rest of this tale is not mine to tell. Will you tell her the rest of the tale, my Love?" 

Keenaht smiled at her husband before turning to Arina and beginning her tale. "My father was an old man, wasting away with illness and being counseled by fools. I was his only child but the council would not accept me as a fit ruler. That morn, I had taken a party out of the kingdom to hunt, in hopes of controlling the anger I felt, when I found Voden. It was as if the very Fates had smiled upon me for here, in the shape of a man with no country and no way to survive without my help, was the very person I needed to get control of the kingdom that rightfully belonged to me. So, Voden and I made a deal and sealed it with our bodies. We plotted the death of my father and any that opposed our rule and then he became the king that the council wanted while I ran the kingdom as I saw fit. The army was under his control and together we began to discuss and plot the ways in which we could expand this kingdom beyond the Downs."

As Keenaht’s tale reached its end, Arina frowned. "What are you still doing in the Downs then, shouldn’t you be on your way into the Mydlands by now?"

Shrugging, Voden made answer, "True, that was our goal. To reach Xinca and overpower Zad was my desire; however, Balcifer’s attempt at gaining control of this world resulted in a delay of our plans. With Zad gone and Xinca in the hands of the Eiron’s again plus the advent of the kingdom of Eldar, we were forced to rethink our plans. We decided to focus on the Downs and the other rulers in the area before we attempt to head into the Mydlands."

Keenaht smiled at her husband in agreement while Arina was left feeling uneasy all of a sudden. "Why have you told me all this? I am your prisoner and once I’m free I could tell anyone about what you’ve told me and your plans would be foiled. What are you planning to do to me?"

Voden sighed happily as Arina once again proved that she was more than just a tracker. "I’m happy to see that you’ve lost none of the brains that made you my favorite tracker. I have no plans for you at the moment other than as bait for the Beastmaster. I have no plans to let you escape and besides, who would you warn? All the rulers in the area think I’m a puppet king but they won’t believe that Keenaht would be able to plan a takeover on her own. I’m sorry, Arina, but you’ll remain our guest for quite awhile. Guards!"

Out of the shadows at the doors appeared the two guards who had originally held Arina and this time they held chains and a collar. Approaching their king they bowed before placing the collar around Arina’s neck and the chains were hooked to the collar. Feeling ridiculously like a pet tiger, Arina growled at the younger guard and had the satisfaction of watching him jump before she was yanked out of the room by the guards. 

"Have a good night’s sleep, Arina. See you in the morning!" Voden’s farewell followed her as she was escorted out of the room. Rudely pushed into the room that had been prepared for her stay she found herself wondering how she was going to get herself out of her current predicament. As the overzealous guard yanked her forward and chained her to the wall before knocking her out, Arina had time for one last thought. ‘I wish Dar and Tao were here.’

***************

The new day dawned bright and beautiful as the Siyu gathered once more at the site of their recent turmoil. Gui Shan stood before them, looking sadder and wiser in the face of his eldest son’s defection. From the center of the much smaller circle emerged Heng who, reaching the chieftains side, raised his arms and began to intone the beginning phrase of the prayer of gratitude, "Thanks be to the Divine," and the tribe replied, "for She has protected us." 

As soon as the ritual prayer was finished, Gui Shan motioned for Dar and Tao to join him in the center. "These two men were the means through which the Divine protected us from Xing and his mad plan. Each evening meal from this day forward, we will pass down the story of how the Beastmaster and Healer saved the Siyu from destruction."

The tribe roared their approval and Tao ducked his head in embarrassment at the attention focused on them. Dar, too, looked slightly uncomfortable by the events and they both sighed in relief as they rejoined Heng in the circle. 

Smiling at the two men, Heng stepped out into the center once more and was joined there by Gui Chong Chao and his betrothed, Nuo. Gui Shan raised his hands over them and then began to speak. "This is a new day for our tribe and a new day for my son and his betrothed. By the power that has been given me as chieftain of this tribe, I proclaim the union of Gui Chao and Mistress Nuo. May their union be long and fruitful." 

Heng once again raised his hands in a ritual prayer. "The Divine bless this union as this new couple embark on their new journey as husband and wife." 

The tribe overflowed with good wishes as they embraced the newly joined couple while Dar and Tao looked on in silence as Chao and Nuo blushed and laughed in joy. Reaching the two men, Chao and Nuo thanked them for their help and invited them to join in the celebrations that would continue throughout the day. 

Glancing over at the still silent Dar, Tao managed to decline their kind invitation claiming that they had tarried long enough and that they needed to continue on their journey. Wishing them well in their new union, Tao watched as the happy couple walked away and, for a brief moment, he flashed back on the last time he had seen Dar with Kyra. Knowing that Dar was feeling more pain than he could imagine, Tao hurried to gather his belongings together and spent a brief moment thanking Heng and Gui Shan for their hospitality. Returning to the motionless Dar with Sharak, he exchanged worried looks with Ruh and then, hesitantly spoke. "Dar? Are you ready to leave?" 

Silence was the only reply he received and this time the ferrets chittered worriedly at him. Finally, Sharak took to the sky screeching as he flew higher above the camp and broke Dar out of his memories. Looking up at the highflying Sharak, Dar smiled slightly and then, registering the worried looks that Tao, Ruh and the ferrets were giving him, shrugged. "Let’s go."


	6. Epilogue

Tao couldn’t help but feel relief the further they got away from the Siyu camp. Glancing over at the once again silent Dar, he wondered whether he should attempt to break Dar’s silence or let him work through his memories in silence. Unable to decide on a course of action, he comforted himself with repeated glances over at his oblivious friend. Soon after entering into the cool forest, Tao happened to be looking over at Dar when he tripped over an exposed tree root and found himself up close and personal with the forest floor. As he levered himself into a sitting position, a hiss of pain escaped him. 

"Tao? Are you all right?" The concerned voice came from Dar who had knelt beside him, ready to offer him a helping hand. 

"I’m fine, Dar. I think I hurt myself a little but I don’t know where." Tao focused his attention on trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. A noise from Dar caused Tao to look over just as Dar was reaching towards him. At the first touch on his arm, Tao gasped in pain. "Ow!"

Looking down, Tao was surprised to see blood spotting the bandages that wrapped around his upper arm. Suddenly, he realized why he was feeling pain and, with a rueful grin, turned to Dar. "I’d forgotten about the arm. I wonder if my tumble opened the wounds."

Dar smiled as he stood and offered a hand to Tao. "We’ll know in a few moments. Come on, the river is close. When we get there, I’ll take a look at your arm."

Tao grasped the offered hand and stood up. Together they walked to the river where Dar removed the bandages and washed them out in the gently flowing river. Laying them on a flat rock to dry, he focused his attention on the Tao’s wounds. Thankfully, they hadn’t opened too much and were already slowing their bleeding. Grabbing some of the paste that Tao had received from Heng, Dar smoothed some into the wounds. Struck by the silence from the normally talkative Tao, Dar glanced at him and was surprised to see that Tao was staring straight at him. Frowning, Dar looked back down at his hands and thought back on their trip away from the camp and realized that Tao had been keeping an eye on him. Releasing Tao’s arm, Dar sat down in front of him causing Tao to look at him in surprise. 

"I’m not injured and nothing happened while we were at the camp for you to be worried about. So, why are you watching me?" 

At Dar’s words, Tao turned his head away. "That’s a matter of opinion. I happen to think that this little adventure of ours has been hard for you. I only had to deal with healing injured people and animals, you had to deal with reminders of your brother’s betrayal and then, on top of that, you had to deal with a woman who looked like Kyra. You can’t tell me that nothing happened; a lot happened and all of it affected you."

It was Dar’s turn to look away from Tao as he thought about what he had said and then he sighed. "You’re right, a lot did happen. But I don’t think it was as hard on me as you think it was. True, I had to deal with a lot of reminders but not all of it was bad. Even though Nuo looked like Kyra, she wasn’t and I got to see her alive and happy." 

Smiling at his friend who had turned to stare at him, Dar gestured with his hand. "When his brother betrayed him, Chao only had Surya to rely on, I have more than one person or animal to rely on. Sharak, Ruh, Kodo and Podo have been with me long before I even knew I had another family and they’ll be with me long after I find them once again. Besides, I’ve learned that blood doesn’t necessarily mean family. My human family is scattered right now, but I still have another family with me that I trust with my life. You and Arina, along with the animals, make up my true family. Sendar’s betrayal does not hurt as much as a betrayal by you or Arina would."

Tao smiled at Dar in understanding. "You are my family also, Dar. Now, bandage me back up and we’ll get back to looking for Arina. Our family isn’t complete without her."

Sharing another smile with Tao, Dar re-bandaged his injured arm and then the unusual group of men and animals continued on their journey to find the missing member of their unique family.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what happened to the Beastmaster Virtual Season site but one day it was gone. I waited a few years before deciding to go ahead and post this story. If anyone knows whatever happened to the site, please let me know.


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